NBA referee Jess Kersey "pleaded guilty in federal
court Wednesday to cheating on his income taxes and agreed
to testify against other referees allegedly involved in an
airline ticket scam designed to put tax-free cash in their
pockets," according to Lynn Waltz of the Norfolk VIRGINIAN-
PILOT. In return for testifying, Kersey "avoided jail
time," but "must pay a $200,000 fine and back taxes on more
than $100,000 of unreported income, plus interest." Waltz
reports that four other charges of income-tax evasion "were
dropped." Kersey "could have been sentenced to 15 years if
convicted on all charges." Kersey resigned from the NBA on
Wednesday, following 24 years with the league. NBA
VP/Communications Bryan McIntyre: "You'd have to ask him for
his exact reasons why he chose to resign, but we did not
force him into it." The PILOT's Waltz: "Kersey's deal with
federal prosecutors may have implications for three other
referees indicted." The other referees are George Toliver,
Henry Armstrong and Mike Mathis (VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 7/31).
